Chapter 20.1

The anticipation among the visitors reached a fever pitch following the zoo director’s earlier hints about the afternoon’s special activity.

After lunch, several elderly professors urged Professor Zhou to inquire about the details. However, before he could act, Mu Ling arrived precisely on time.

As soon as she appeared, an excited buzz swept through the crowd.

Mu Ling greeted them with a smile, “Did everyone enjoy their meal?”

The visitors eagerly responded, “Yes, we did!”

“Excellent! Since you’re all satisfied, let’s move on to our next activity. Please follow me,” she said, leading the way.

The crowd enthusiastically followed her out of the dining area. Meanwhile, Xiang Bie, who had been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, emerged only to collide with a temporary staff member carrying a tray of food. The soup spilled all over his uniform.

Xiang Bie frowned, glancing down at his soiled clothes.

The temporary employee quickly apologized, “Oh no, I’m so sorry! Let me help you clean up.”

Xiang Bie declined the offer and removed his jacket, draping it over a nearby chair.

Meanwhile, the group of over a hundred people made their way across the zoo’s front plaza, arriving at a large, oval-shaped viewing pond behind the administrative building. Mu Ling had learned from Wei Li that when the zoo first opened, this pond was a small attraction where visitors could take photos and feed fish. However, ornamental fish weren’t thrilling enough for a wildlife park—people preferred the excitement of dangerous animals like crocodiles.

By the time Mu Ling arrived, the pond had long since been drained, with waist-high weeds growing where water once stood. Initially, she hadn’t even realized it was a pond, mistaking it for an overgrown field.

Now, the pond had been cleared out. Mu Ling didn’t plan on restocking it with fish; she just needed an empty pool.

The visitors, upon seeing the empty pond, were puzzled. What was this about? There were objects placed inside, but their purpose wasn’t clear.

Turning to face the crowd, Mu Ling explained with a smile, “As you all know, our zoo’s star attraction, Qilin, suffered serious injuries some time ago. While it hasn’t fully recovered, it’s much better now. With summer ending soon, we thought it would be a good time to give it a bath.”

The visitors were immediately stunned into silence. Qilin… taking a bath?

What did that have to do with them being here?

Could it be… no, surely not what they were thinking?

Was this mysterious, legendary Qilin about to reveal its most private moment—its bathing routine?

Qilin, the tigress, the beauty…

Was their special event actually a live demonstration of the viral sensation bathing outdoors?

But wait, there might be more. Didn’t the zoo director mention they could participate if willing?

How exactly would they participate? Surely they wouldn’t be helping to bathe Qilin?

This was a ripper tiger—a war beast with severe psychological trauma, was distrustful of strangers and even its own master. With a danger rating of ten stars, how could they possibly get close to it?

But if the zoo director said so…

Federation citizens don’t deceive one another. Director Mu certainly wouldn’t lie to them.

In an instant, a hundred pairs of eyes filled with burning anticipation fixed on Mu Ling. Their intense gazes made her skin crawl.

Mu Ling hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and continued, “So, is anyone interested in helping prepare the bathing water for Qilin? Due to its injuries, we can’t use regular water. We need to prepare a medicinal bath. If you’d like to help mix the bathwater, please raise your hand. Don’t worry if you’re not interested…”

The visitors’ expressions had become so intense that Mu Ling worried they disliked the idea. She began to doubt her plan, thinking that asking visitors to do manual work might have been too much.

“I will!” A voice broke the silence, a man’s tone so excited that it cracked.

Mu Ling looked down to see a middle-aged visitor enthusiastically raising his hand. “I want to help prepare the medicinal bath for Qilin!”

Mu Ling’s face lit up, and she was about to accept when—

“Me too!”

“And me!”

“I want to! I want to! I want to!”

“Director, look at me! Pick me!”

Mu Ling was taken aback.

Someone had even almost called her “old” in their excitement.

But that didn’t matter.

Seeing so many eager hands in the air, Mu Ling’s earlier doubts evaporated. Her plan was clearly a success. She quickly said, “Everyone can participate! There’s no limit to the number of helpers, so please don’t push or shove.”

“Wow!” The visitors cheered, over a hundred people buzzing with excitement.

Since everyone wanted to take part, Mu Ling led them to the inflatable bathtub in the center of the pond. She brought out the medicinal powders and herbs, then stood by with her hands on her hips, instructing the visitors on how to measure and mix the ingredients, add water, and at what temperature.

Wei Li, who was initially assigned to handle the water hoses, found himself sidelined as several enthusiastic visitors took over his task.

He felt bewildered. When Mu Ling first mentioned letting visitors prepare the medicinal bath, he thought she had gone crazy. People come to enjoy themselves, not to be put to work. Sure, they might be thrilled to touch Qilin, but preparing its bathwater? Who would want to do that on their vacation?

Well, he had clearly underestimated the situation—and the allure of Qilin.

These visitors seemed more than willing, even eager to participate. What could he say?

Watching the bustling scene of enthusiastic labor, Wei Li couldn’t help but admire Mu Ling’s brilliance once more. Their zoo director truly had a gift for captivating people.

With so many hands at work, it took only ten minutes to fill the five-meter-long, five-meter-wide, one-meter-deep inflatable pool with yellowish-brown medicinal water.

Mu Ling used a detector to check the water quality. Finding the concentration and medicinal properties satisfactory, she said, “Alright then, I’ll go bring out Qilin now. Please wait here for a moment.”

As soon as Mu Ling left, Wei Li and other staff members guided the visitors to the designated viewing platform. In reality, they were herding everyone back to the shore, ensuring no one could cross the stone railings around the pond—they could only watch from the bank.

A few minutes later, someone in the crowd exclaimed, “It’s coming! It’s coming! Qilin is here!”

Instantly, all eyes turned in that direction. Several researchers quickly donned their evaluation glasses and began reporting data to their interns or assistants: “Species: Ripper Tiger, Gender: Female, Body Length: 320 cm, Shoulder Height: 168 cm, Tail Length: 121 cm, Estimated Weight: 500 kg, Head Width…”